Kenbobpdx wrote:I remember when this was being built. I spent a lot of time with Jeff and Cyndy in their old house when Cyndy was building my guitar in 1982 and I got to see quite a few instruments that they built subsequent to that. This was one of them. I absolutely love the sapwood accent down the back.

Thanks for sharing the pics.

Chris - I see you are in Vancouver, WA. Will you be at the Handmade Instrument Show later this month?

Ken,

That is really cool that you got to see some of this guitar being built. Do you still have your Burton? I will be at the show, my table is in the middle section... I'm racing against the clock to finish my current build in time to show, which I think is going to work out! What about yourself?

Kenbobpdx wrote:I remember when this was being built. I spent a lot of time with Jeff and Cyndy in their old house when Cyndy was building my guitar in 1982 and I got to see quite a few instruments that they built subsequent to that. This was one of them. I absolutely love the sapwood accent down the back.

Thanks for sharing the pics.

Chris - I see you are in Vancouver, WA. Will you be at the Handmade Instrument Show later this month?

Ken,

That is really cool that you got to see some of this guitar being built. Do you still have your Burton? I will be at the show, my table is in the middle section... I'm racing against the clock to finish my current build in time to show, which I think is going to work out! What about yourself?

Chris

Chris,
I went on the show site and saw that you have an axe being played in one of the mini-concerts. I plan on being there that day. I want to hear John Mery play Greg Miller's guitar. I know Greg pretty well through Jeff and Cyndy and I know John as well through work (we both work at PCC). I will introduce myself.

I do still have my Burton. It was completed in May 1982 and is a very special guitar named after her father. Like Ralph Towner I met Jeff and Cyndy at an early version of the luthiers' show. Only a few builders were there. I really hit it off with them both of them. I was studying with James Kline at the time and he was friends with them. Cyndy had lent a guitar to Jim and I got to play it and really liked everything about it. Once I met them in person I immediately decided to commission my guitar with Cyndy. One of the best decisions I have ever made. It is a beautiful and very dynamic instrument. The owner/player could use some work, though .

I spent a lot of time in their shop during the time my guitar was being built and after it was completed. That is how I saw Towner's guitar being built. The blackwood sapwood was very distinctive and really stood out for me at the time. Jeff also built a purple heartwood guitar at that time that was something to behold. It was really purple! Later I actually got to strum the guitar that Julian Bream got from Jeff. Cyndy was still applying finish so I couldn't actually play it but still...I got to see it before they headed to Seattle to meet up with Bream. For a CG nerd that seriously cool.

We live in the same neighborhood so I see them a fair amount although I don't spend any time in their shop anymore unless I need some work done on my guitar. They are great folks and I am lucky to count them as friends.

See you at the show.

"If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe."
Abraham Lincoln

Thanks for the background Ken, that's really interesting. I would like to get my hands on the Bream guitar some day... I played one he made for him after the first one and it was awesome, but unfortunately above my income bracket at the time. Jeff and Cyndy are great, they put up with me for years in my annoying "let me spend time in your shop" phase... they are gracious hosts and eager to train the next generation.

James and Foti of the PDX guitar duo will be playing duets with two of my guitars--one major restoration and one new construction. I think they play at 3pm on saturday. It should be fun to hear the guitars together because one is a small bodied spruce top and the other is my normal size concert with a cedar top. I look forward to seeing you there.